IS this the way to Amarillo? Up in Templeogue, even the dogs in the street are getting ready to board the bus.

Sunday is the big one. The first Evening Herald Dublin Senior Football Championship Final for St Jude's.

"It's just great for the whole parish. There's phenomenal excitement in the area," reveals club PRO Jimmy Harlow.

"Everybody is rolling in behind the footballers, from the children in the nursery to the people who founded the club back in 1978."

Jude's have had big days before. A Senior League Division 1 football title under Brian Talty and capturing the Dublin Under-21 Hurling and Football Championships in the same year.

"But victory on Sunday would be the pinnacle," adds Jimmy, who praises the dedication of the squad and their management team, Pádraic Monaghan, Don Lehane, Seán McBride, Donal Brennan and Ciarán McGovern.

"It makes it so special that every one of the players has come up from the juvenile ranks. They all live and die by Jude's," explains Jimmy.

Accomplished defender Ciarán Voyles sums up the commitment. He flies back from New Zealand today to join his colleagues in preparing for the match.

For several years, he played for the senior team before emigrating to New Zealand where he now resides.

"He came back for a bit of a holiday and was giving a hand training one of the minor teams. He was brought on the first night against Plunkett's to see what he could do and he made a huge impact.

"He had to travel back to New Zealand after the Mary's game, but he's now flying back again. That just shows what the county final means to all the players. You wouldn't get that type of sacrifice in other sports. I think it's unique to the GAA," says Jimmy.

Before he left Ireland, Ciaran's last game was the quarter-final defeat to St Vincent's in 2007. Vincent's went on to become All-Ireland champions.

The Vincent's match is still debated on the Tymon terrain. Vincent's got two penalties. One of them was awarded when, late on, the current Dublin manager Pat Gilroy was adjudged to have been fouled.

Jude's still hotly dispute the decision. "I don't know how we lost that game. We were leading with a few minutes to go. It's something we'll never forget," recalls Jimmy.

Jude's have endured three semi-final defeats this decade -- 2007 to St Brigid's, 2005 to Na Fianna and 2000 to Kilmacud Crokes.

The side has changed over the years. "We have lost some experienced players through retirement or whatever," says Jimmy. "Injury curtailed the career of our midfielder Stephen Earley. He was a big prospect.

"But we have been fortunate in that we have been able to develop the squad with players that have emerged all the way from the nursery and, as I said, that's very pleasing.

"We have been knocking on the door for a few years. The lads have been very consistent. We have also had very strong league campaigns.

"Some people seem to think it's a bit of a fluke that we have made the final. We don't look on it like that.

"We have beaten some very good teams. Overcoming St Brigid's in the last-16 was a huge victory for us. Shane Gallagher got the late winning point.

"Then, in the quarter-final against Plunkett's we were behind by 10 points. Brian Monaghan hit the equaliser, and winning the replay was an amazing achievement.

"We then beat a very good Mary's side in the semi-final, so we are there on merit. There's no argument about that."

There was no lack of drama for the Jude's followers in any of those games. "Yes, it was pretty testing for the old heart-beat alright," says Jimmy.

The supporters of Kilmacud Crokes and Ballyboden St Enda's have also endured many tense moments in their semi-final epic. The sides meet for the third time tonight.

It has given St Jude's plenty of opportunity to watch their prospective final opponents.

"Of course you like to know who you are playing, but the priority for our management has been to concentrate on our own preparations for Sunday.

"Their chief concern is to make sure that the lads are as physically and mentally well prepared as they can be for the county final."

And judging by their adventure so far, that can be taken as a given.

So will the fact that come Sunday afternoon Templeogue will resemble the deserted village.

- Niall Scully